


We're All The Same

by Uncommon_Aura



Category: Jak and Daxter
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 13:31:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13812180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uncommon_Aura/pseuds/Uncommon_Aura
Summary: Baron Praxis' prison is one place that Nyx would never want to end up in ever again. Horrible things happened in it, to her and to Jak. And while she wished that Jak hadn't spent two dreadful years there, she was glad it had been her who ended up in that chair when she did. And she doesn't really understand why. Daxter's there to give her some insight on that.





	We're All The Same

**Author's Note:**

> I almost forgot that I'd wrote this a while back. It was an idea that just kinda spontaneously came to me, and I had to get it out. I referenced it in another drabble recently, and that reminded me that I still needed to upload it.

Nyx drummed her fingers against the top of the bar, listening to the sound of running water in the kitchen of the Naughty Ottsel. From inside, Tess and Jak could be heard double-teaming the dishes. Tess used to have Daxter do them, but after the ottsel had fallen into the sink and nearly onto a knife, she'd started asking Jak or Nyx for help.

Today, it was Jak's turn, something that Nyx was a bit grateful for. She felt a little too distracted to worry about something like dishes. She'd probably drop something or end up cutting herself, she knew it. 

From the door that lead into the kitchen, emerged Daxter. He leaped up onto the bar to see what Nyx was up to. "Hey there, sweetheart. Ya okay?"

Nyx turned her eyes to the ottsel, and sighed. "Not... Really..." There was no point in lying to him, she figured.

Daxter raised an eyebrow. "Ya wanna talk about it? I hate to say it, but ya look all mopey..."

Nyx bit her lip. Her eyes darted towards the kitchen door absently, wondering if Jak could hear her... His hearing was better than most people's...

"Don't worry 'bout him, I doubt he can hear us," said Daxter, knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

Nyx nodded slowly, and then opened her mouth to let out quiet words. "I've been thinking about prison a lot lately... Been trying not to, but it just keeps coming back to me..."

Daxter hummed. "That's a pretty broad subject... Wanna go into details, oorrr?"

She was silent a moment, before replying. "I just. Is it weird that I'm glad the Baron wanted me?"

Daxter's eyebrows creased together. "Okay, you've lost me..."

Nyx sighed. "You know he wanted me for the same reason he wanted Jak... Because I'm a channeler, and I would survive, in theory,"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, gotcha," said Daxter in response.

"...Despite... Every awful thing that happened to me in there... I'm glad it was me. I'm glad he wanted specifically me..." Nyx muttered, running her fingers over the bartop. She'd long since learned to not drag her nails over it, or Daxter would give her an earful.

"Why's that?" Daxter asked.

"Because if he hadn't needed me... Maybe it would've been someone else in that chair..." Nyx mumbled. "And don't get me wrong, I wish it had never happened at all, but... When I realized what he planned to do... I was so glad it was me. Because I knew that no matter what happened to me, however awful it was... However fucked up it made me, I knew I'd survive..."

Daxter nodded slowly. "Ya didn't want no one else havin' to go through that, eh?"

Nyx nodded back to him. "Yeah... When I saw that they'd captured the Shadow, I was so scared... I was so scared that you and Jak had been caught, too... Because the last thing I wanted was for Jak to have to go through it all over again... I was glad it was me... Not him or you, or anyone else..."

"I'd say that you're crazy for bein' glad that you got tortured over someone else, but... In this particular situation, I... Kinda can't blame ya. I'd have taken Jak's place in a heartbeat if I could've..." Daxter replied quietly. "Don't think he'd agree with ya, though. He's still pissed that the Baron touched ya at all..."

"I know... But it's definitely better this way... If I hadn't been there... Maybe he would've started doing it to the others? Errol, he..." Nyx stopped, swallowing hard to compose herself. "He threatened Tess when she started begging him to stop hurting me... Asked her if she wanted to switch places with me..."

"And ya got the feelin' he meant it...?" asked Daxter quietly.

"I wouldn't have put it past that sick fuck..." Nyx spit. "And even though my veins burned as Dark Eco twisted through them, even though I could barely figure out what was going on... I told him no. I told him to leave her out of that... And I would've done anything to make sure it was me in that chair and not her... Because it would've killed her... I knew that I would survive, no matter how much damage it caused me... But it would've killed her..."

Daxter nodded and reached out to pat her arm "I know. And ya wanna know why you feel like that? Why you're glad it was you and not her? Or Jak, or me?"

Nyx raised an eyebrow at him "What are you, now? A psychologist?"

"Nah," drawled Daxter, flapping a hand. "I just kinda know how to read people. And I've known you long enough to know that you're just like Jak. Ya wanna protect people, right? You've got that hero complex, where ya get pissed if someone touches the people ya love... You'd give anything to make sure they're safe, right?"

Nyx snorted as the ottsel hit the nail on the head. "You sure you're not a psychologist, Dax?"

"Yeah, pretty sure. Never been to school or nothin'," replied Daxter. "Like I said, I'm good at readin' people. Spent many years readin' Jak, y'know,"

Nyx nodded. "Yeah... And y'know... By your logic, it makes you just like us, too,"

"It does?" questioned the ottsel.

"Yeah," said Nyx. "You said you would've swapped places with Jak if you could've, right? You wanted to keep him safe,"

Daxter blinked at her, now feeling a bit sheepish. "Well, I uh... Yeah, guess so... I want him to be happy and stuff... Never wanted that asshole to hurt him... I still feel bad for runnin' away..."

Nyx reached over to pet Daxter's head. "I think he's glad you did... 'Cause remember... He's just like us..."

Daxter sighed. "Yeah, and it creates this weird circle of wantin' to protect each other..."

"But it's gotta be somebody, right?" said Nyx. "Someone's gotta take the short end of the stick..."

Daxter nodded slowly. "Yeah... Next time it's my turn. The two of ya have had enough..."

Nyx pat his head. "I don't think Jak would agree with that..."

"Well to hell with that..." Daxter mumbled, kicking some grit off the bartop. "You two've been tortured and twisted... It's time for something to happen to me! It can't always be you guys..."

She gave his arm a little shove. "Maybe it already has, Dax? Look at yourself. You're small enough to stand on the bar,"

Daxter sighed. "Yeah, I guess so... I mean... Maybe if this hadn't happened, we coulda fought back, but... It ain't exactly the kinda 'short end of the stick' that you two got..."

"Still counts, if you ask me," said Nyx. "The way I heard the story, I bet Jak feels pretty guilty about it happening, and not being able to change you back..."

"Yeah, I guess so... I mean... He went on some crazy long adventure and fought off huge monsters and crazy jerks in Precursor robots, tryin' to change me back... Aaanndd then couldn't 'cause we had to stop Gol and Maia from fuckin' up literally everythin'..."

"Bet he wishes it was him, don't you think?" Nyx asked. 

"Yeeeeaahh... Maybe. But I'm glad it worked out the way it did, ya know? Without Jakkie-Boy and all his skills, this place would be rubble and we'd all be dead... I ain't exactly a very... Physically competant guy... Regardless of if I'm furry..." said Daxter.

Nyx gently rubbed Daxter's arm, twining her fingers through his orange fur. "We all wish it had been a little different for the others, don't we? But then we're all glad that things happened the way they did..."

"Man, we're one messed up bunch, ain't we?" Daxter sighed. 

Nyx sighed, giving a small laugh. "Yeah... But we make it work..."


End file.
